


Odd Job

by newtborn



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Blood, Blood and Gore, Ghost Hunters, Graphic Description, Horror, M/M, Minor Violence, Neurodiversity, Panic Attacks, Psychological Horror, Spirits, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29750025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtborn/pseuds/newtborn
Summary: Shuichi and Kokichi begin working at a new job.
Relationships: Oma Kokichi/Saihara Shuichi
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi looks for a new job.

The building wasn’t what he expected it to look like, it definitely didn’t look like any office he’d been to before. Hell, it barely looked suitable enough to be a regular house. Suffice to say, it was dingy, whoever owned the place didn’t seem to take much care of it. The entire atmosphere was almost enough to make him reconsider this entirely, but unfortunately, he was desperate. Why was he even here?

Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, at least that’s what he used to be. He graduated from Hope’s Peak about a week ago, and despite promising instant success in the world for all of their graduates, here he was, taking jobs from shady flyers left on the telephone poles scattered throughout town. That wasn’t the only thing Hope’s Peak had lied about, really the entire school was extremely sketchy and flawed. Shuichi had to search for a career all on his own, with no help from the high school whatsoever.

And that’s what led him to this situation. The flyer had said to come to this address, and that they were in need of investigators. It sounded too good to be true, and judging from the quality of the environment around him, it most likely was. Shuichi straightened the baseball cap on his head, and walked up to the door. There was a sign hanging up, it looked as if it was drawn with cheap markers and read, “Hiro’s Readings.”

 _“Readings? What does that mean?”_ He thought to himself, even more off put than he’d been before, if that was even possible. Sighing, he rested his hand on the door’s handle and swung it open. There wasn’t any sort of waiting room, but that was the least notable thing about the inside of the house. It was extremely dark, and decorated with drapings of fake gold and jewels. At the table in front of him sat a tall man with extremely large hair, but it wasn’t just him. On the other side was a much smaller boy with messy purple hair, dressed in clothes that would be considered rags compared to what he himself was wearing. The two turned at the sound of the door closing and stared happily at Shuichi.

Upon seeing his face, he could somewhat recognize the smaller boy, they were in the same grade, and had graduated together, although he never really talked to him. It was somewhat relieving to know he wasn’t the only one screwed over by Hope’s Peak, assuming he was also here for a job. _“He must be some sort of detective like me. I’m surprised I’ve never really met him before.”_ Shuichi pondered, soon realizing that he was staring at the two sitting down, not saying anything. He quickly panicked, trying to think of something to say.

“H-hey…” Was all he managed to stutter out, completely embarrassed afterwards, any chance he had of getting this job was practically ruined now, at least that’s what he thought. But to his surprise, the older man seemed completely unphased.

“Hey there! I’m Yasuhiro Hagakure! But you can just call me Hiro. Are you here for the job too?” Hiro smiled brightly at him, curing his nerves a little. But Shuichi could tell just by his outfit that this guy wasn’t any kind of professional, which made him wonder exactly what he wanted with investigators. “This kid here beat you to it, but the more the merrier!”

“Ah… Um… That’s okay! I can just go…” Shuichi gulped and turned around to flee from this entire situation. But Hiro didn’t seem to like that idea too much.

“Hey! Come on! I’m desperate here…” He laughed, but it was pretty obvious he wasn’t kidding. Shuichi wasn’t exactly sold, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious now. So, he turned away from the door and took a seat at the chair next to the purple-haired boy. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! Thanks for at least giving me a chance!”

“I’m just confused… What exactly do you do? And why do you need detectives?” Shuichi asked Hiro, fidgeting with his fingers under the table, and ignoring the quiet giggling coming from the boy next to him.

“Oh yeah! I guess this would look pretty confusing!” Hiro laughed again and crossed his arms together, “I’m a psychic!” Shuichi’s face dropped, and he was ready to get up from his chair and run far away from here. He knew this job was too good to be true, and the boy next to him seemed to be taking way too much pleasure in his disappointment.

“Pardon me for asking but… You don’t mean like, fortune telling, right?” Shuichi nervously clutched his chest.

“What else would I mean, man?” Hiro continued to laugh along with the purple-haired male. Shuichi wasn’t laughing.

 _“How do I get out of this… There’s just no way I can accept this job! I mean, I doubt it’s even a real job at all… No wonder this guy lives in a shack!”_ His head was racing with thoughts, having so many questions, but being unable to ask any at all. Lucky for him however, the kid sitting in the chair next to his own finally spoke up.

The boy leaned backwards in his chair, and threw his hands behind his head in a casual manner, not seeming to be taking this seriously whatsoever. “I’m curious about this too though, what exactly does a man of such prowess like yourself need with a couple of investigators?”

_“Don’t flatter him…”_

“Well see here, recently like all of my customers have been asking about ghosts and stuff. I tell the future and stuff, but all of that supernatural crap is beyond me…” Hiro sighed, “I’m way too scared of spirits and ghouls to even try taking care of them! But thing is, I could be making a lot of money dealing with things like that.”

“You… You want paranormal investigators?!” Shuichi’s hair shot up in shock, this whole thing was getting way crazier by the second. He was desperate for a job, but not this desperate.

“Exactly, now you’re getting it!” Hiro beamed, “You two are from Hope’s Peak Academy right? I am too! You’d be perfect for this job!”

“We… never told you that…” He was getting way too freaked out, “And… someone like you graduated from Hope’s Peak?!”

“After trying four times!” He laughed again, “But I’ve been working here since middle school. I could really use your help.”

“Well Mr. Hiro, I’m sold!” The purple-haired boy smiled, “I mean, we’d be crazy not to take this job!”

 _“I’m pretty sure he’s the crazy one… I really need the money right now though…”_ Shuichi had been living with his Uncle again ever since leaving Hope’s Peak, and it isn’t exactly the best situation for him. He was always out working, and it’s not like Shuichi would be paid for doing any sort of work there. His Uncle was a pretty stingy guy, especially to family. He needed to move out and get at least an apartment on his own.

“That’s what I like to hear!” Hiro chuckled, “Thank you guys so much!” Shuichi panicked, not realizing he’d been dragged into saying yes without his consent. He didn’t even get to ask what the amount was that he’d be paid.

“Quick question boss, how much exactly are we getting for doing this?” Shuichi’s new partner asked, once again seemingly coming to his rescue. He silently thanked him.

“Hmm… How about $500 per customer?” Hiro answered.

The shock on Shuichi’s and his partner’s face was all too noticeable. Neither of them have ever heard of a salary so ridiculous before. He was going to decline, but after hearing about that kind of money, Shuichi couldn’t help but to take the job. Besides, it was probably way too late to say no at this point. In fact, he couldn’t agree fast enough. Their new boss seemed to be pleased with the eagerness at least.

“Alright then! Guess you two will start tomorrow! Come in at like… ten? I guess?” Hiro scratched his unshaven face. And turned back around in his spinning chair, signifying that the conversation had ended. Shuichi wasn’t exactly pleased with his new boss’s behavior, but the pay he received would be worth it. Besides, it’s not like ghosts actually existed, right? Shuichi stood up out of his chair and walked towards the door, leaving the desk behind.

He stepped outside and looked up at the sky, it had gotten darker since he’d last seen it. Shuichi took off his hat, and combed his hair down with his fingers. Of course, the one piece at the top didn’t budge, it never did, but that’s what he wore the hat for after all. Starting his walk home, he got lost in thought, so lost, that he didn’t hear the footsteps pounding towards him at full speed.

“Yoink!” Shuichi’s hat was suddenly taken from his hand before he could even realize it was happening. He jumped back, startled. In front of him though, was the boy who had been assigned to work with him only moments ago. He was giggling, and placed Shuichi’s hat on top of his own head, looking proud.

“Ah… h-hey!” Shuichi’s face became flustered, embarrassed that his hair and eyes were fully exposed. “Give that back!”

“Not so fast, detective! You haven’t even introduced yourself to me…” The hat stealer put on a sad voice as he looked back at Shuichi.

“Introduce myself? Oh…” He was right, the two didn’t exactly know each other besides by face. “I’m Shuichi Saihara, I was the Ultimate Detective. I assume you’re also some sort of detective?”

“Haha! Nope!” He smiled, “I’m Kokichi Ouma! The Ultimate Supreme Leader!” Kokichi threw his hands behind his head again, “My secret organization has over 10,000 members!”

“H-Huh?!” Shuichi stumbled, “There’s no way that’s true! An organization of that mass would be known about by tons of people! And what would a supreme leader want with this job anyway? You aren’t exactly qualified…”

“Well that’s why it’s a secret organization! That’s kind of the whole point!” Kokichi laughed, “And don’t try to tell me that you’re somehow more qualified than I am to deal with ghosts!” Shuichi looked down at the ground, he had a point. He hoped to use at least some of his talent for this job, but it didn’t seem like that would be the case.

“That’s… true… Now, can I have my hat back?” Shuichi sighed.

“Aww man… But you look so much better without it!” Kokichi smiled, and Shuichi couldn’t help but be flustered at the boy’s odd compliment. Regardless, Kokichi took off the baseball cap and threw it back to him. “I’ll see ya tomorrow, Saihara-chan!” Without another word, Kokichi took off, turning into an alleyway up ahead.

“Sai… what?!” Shuichi’s face only got redder, Kokichi had managed to embarrass him more than anyone has before. Really, he should’ve been impressed. He wasn’t expecting his new partner to be like this, especially considering how quiet he’d been inside only moments ago. Needless to say, Shuichi wasn’t exactly excited for his first day. He sighed, placing his cap back over his head, and continued on the walk home through the city.


	2. Our First Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi and Kokichi take on their first client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Blood, Slight Gore, Panic Attacks, Sensory Overload

Shuichi Saihara was running as fast as he could manage, almost tripping over his own feet. Looking at his watch, the time read 9:57. He was going to be late on his first day of work! His hat was struggling to stay on top of his head as he sprinted down the sidewalk. People in their cars, or who were just walking downtown began to stare at him. Time was ticking, he had no idea if he would make it on time or not.

 _“This is so unprofessional… I can’t be late to my first ever job!”_ It wasn’t his first job really, but it would be the first one he’d get paid for, which counts for something. His shoes pounded on the concrete below him as he made his way towards the dingy house he’d been at yesterday. Seems he was going to make it exactly on time. Shuichi quickly jutted towards the front door and swung it open with immense force. Standing in the doorway and panting, he saw Hiro quickly turn around in his chair, completely startled.

“Geez dude! What are you doing here?!” He screamed at Shuichi, who was still trying to catch his breath.

“I… I’m here… for work!” Shuichi managed to gasp out between breaths. Hiro stared at him blank faced for a second before he began laughing.

“Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that!” He pointed to a door towards the back of the room, “Yeah uh, that’s gonna be your office, or whatever. I didn’t clean it up for you guys though.” Hiro leaned down and picked up a key from one of his desk’s drawers, tossing it into Shuichi’s hands. He was a little frustrated that he tried so hard to show up on time, only to be told he was forgotten about, but regardless, the idea of having his own office excited him.

Shuichi walked past Hiro and towards the door he was told to work in. There was a sign on it that read “Ghost Stuff.” It wasn’t exactly professional, but that’s to be expected here. The door swung open and revealed what looked to be a storage room. There was a desk in the middle of the room as well as a stack of boxes and papers lining the walls. On the floor were a few stains, and a sickly looking bean bag chair. Long story short, the space needed a lot of work. He walked over to a stack of papers, the one on top was an overdue bill. He shouldn’t have been surprised, although he couldn’t help but wonder how Hiro planned on paying them such a high amount. After all, judging from the building, he guessed that he didn’t have a lot of money.

Shuichi quickly laid the piece of paper back down upon hearing footsteps coming towards the door. It shot open in an instant, revealing a very excited Kokichi. He gazed around the room in wonder.

“Oh man! This place is pretty great!” Kokichi exclaimed, “Hey there, Shumai! This is our office right? This is way better than what I was expecting!”

“Um… What exactly were you expecting?” Shuichi giggled nervously.

“Nothing!” Kokichi laughed and walked over to the other side of the room, quickly claiming his spot at the dusty bean bag chair. Despite him being slumped down, and so low to the ground, he radiated an aura of power fit for the Ultimate Supreme Leader. “So we just wait here for someone to complain about something stupid, right? That’s super easy!”

“I guess so…” Shuichi took his seat at the desk chair, it didn’t have any wheels, and was made of wood, so he wasn’t exactly comfortable. He opened up the desk drawer, hoping to find something of use. Inside was an empty notebook, and a few pens. He took them both out, decided they could probably be used for work somehow. Without even realizing, Kokichi was already behind him, staring at the notebook.

“You don’t mind if I borrow that, right?” But before Shuichi could answer, Kokichi had already taken the notebook and one of the pens.

“I was going to use that for work…” He sighed.

“Nothing’s even happening! And I’m bored!” Kokichi laughed as he began to scribble on the pages. Shuichi decided it probably wasn’t worth arguing over, he didn’t entirely know the consequences of making his partner mad yet, and he didn’t really want to find out. He pulled out his phone and aimlessly scrolled.

 _“I hope someone shows up today… Without any customers, we’re not going to make any money here. Maybe that’s why the pay is so high, nobody even comes here!”_ He continued to become more lost in thought and fiddled with his phone. The amount of time passing was unknown to him, but suddenly a weight on his shoulder startled him back into reality.

“Check it out!” It was Kokichi, and he was holding open the notebook for Shuichi to look at. He placed his phone to the side and looked down at the paper. On it was a drawing of Kokichi and himself, they were throwing up peace signs and smiling, the words “New Job” were written at the top of the page. He couldn’t help but smile at the slightly childish act, he had to admit the drawing was cute. But before he could say anything, someone opened up the door and rushed into their office.

The stranger took her seat at a fold out chair across from the two boys. She seemed to be a bit hysteric, her eyes and face flushed pink. The carefree atmosphere of the office was broken in an instant.

“Ah… Can we help you ma’am?” Shuichi stammered.

“I’m so thankful that Hiro brought in some more help here! I don’t know what else to do!” The woman clutched her purse tightly in her lap. “I tried to get him to help, but he said that he didn’t specialize in ghosts… I’m so glad you boys are here, you have no idea! I don’t think I can take this anymore!”

“Lady, we’re gonna need you to calm down.” Kokichi flattened his tone, “Just tell us the issue.”

“Well, I own a restaurant just down the street called ‘Yukyo’s’… But recently all of my employees have been quitting on me! And when I ask why, they just freak out, saying things like how they hear screaming from the vents, and how the faucets drip with blood!” The lady picked up her breathing, “I’m going to go out of business! I don’t know what’s causing everyone to see these things! I’ve never heard of anything like it!”

“Mhm, classic ghost!” Kokichi said way too confidently considering his knowledge on ghosts was next to none. “We’ll take care of it!”

“You will? That makes me so relieved! I’ve already paid Hiro up front. Do you know how long it will take?” Her mood seemed to lighten up a little, although Shuichi knew that Kokichi was completely lying to her. Neither of them knew how to do anything relating to ghosts.

“We’ll start right away! We only need tonight!” He laughed casually, but Shuichi was more than nervous, not wanting to contradict him in fear of looking unprofessional.

“That’s excellent! Thank you boys so much!” The woman got up from her seat in joy, quickly exciting the room. Upon her exit, Shuichi took his hand and lightly slapped Kokichi upside the head, although he didn’t seem to be hurt.

“What are you doing?! We have no idea how to deal with any of this!” Shuichi cried out.

“Relax! Anyone coming to this place must be crazy, there’s no way we’re gonna have to deal with actual ghosts!” Kokichi seemed to laugh at the thought, “Don’t tell me you’re actually scared!”

Shuichi’s cheeks flared up, “N-no! It’s just… What exactly are we going to do?”

“Simple, we’re gonna go in and see everything’s fine, then we’ll tell her we took out the ghost, and get paid!” He smirked, seemingly having no doubts in his mind. But Shuichi wasn’t so sure.

“But what about what she said? All of her employees quit because of the noises and… blood…” He gulped, “There’s no way they’re all lying.”

Kokichi didn’t answer, his fingers played with the end of the long checkered bandana that was loosely tied around his neck. Without saying anything, he grabbed the notebook from the desk and shoved it into the inside of his jacket, which had some conveniently large pockets on the inside, normally used for stealing. After clipping it back up, he patted Shuichi on the shoulder and walked out of the office.

 _“It’s like he doesn’t have any concern… Or maybe he’s just that good at hiding it.”_ Shuichi thought, before getting up and following Kokichi out. All of the lights were turned off in the next room, and it looked like Hiro was dealing with a client, who had their eyes shut closed while he just tapped on his phone in front of them. Figuring they shouldn’t bother him, the two boys exited the shack as quietly as they could manage, stepping out into the sunlight.

Kokichi didn’t waste any time, in an instant, he started his trek down the sidewalk and, supposedly, towards the diner. “H-hey! Kokichi!” Shuichi shouted after him, “Do you know where you’re going?”

He turned around and looked back at the detective, “Of course I do! It’s not too far from here.” Kokichi smirked, “Don’t tell me you don’t know your way around here.”

“Actually, I don’t.” Shuichi nervously frowned, “I don’t really come to… uh… this part of town often…” He tried not to sound too offensive, but realistically, this area was on the lower-income side of the city. And although Shuichi was currently poor, his Uncle sure wasn’t, and his real parents were extremely wealthy, being in the film industry. So he’d never had to experience living in an area such as this one.

Kokichi laughed at his response, “Oh man! That makes so much sense!” Shuichi didn’t exactly understand what he meant, “So why exactly is someone like yourself looking for a job in the first place?”

 _“Ah… He probably thinks I’m some kind of spoiled rich kid with my parents money…”_ He swallowed, “I’m just, really desperate for some cash. I need to save up money to move out of my Uncle’s house. My parents are overseas, so he’s been taking care of me for awhile. And now that I don’t have a dorm at Hope’s Peak, I’m sort of screwed…”

“Hey! You and me are pretty similar!” Kokichi smiled, “I don’t have a house either!”

“That’s… not exactly what I said…” Shuichi chuckled under his breath, “Where do you live?”

Kokichi froze a bit, as if the question seemed to make him a bit uncomfortable. Shuichi noticed as his face dropped slightly, before twisting back into his usual smug expression. “I live up all the way in the hills! With all the beige houses and white picket fences!” It was obviously a lie, but considering that he didn’t seem to like the question at all, Shuichi decided it would be best not to pry this time.

By the time the conversation had ended, they had arrived at the restaurant where the supposed ghost hunting would occur. It seemed normal enough so far, nothing really screamed “haunted.” It was an average diner, a little on the dirty side, but nothing off putting at least. Shuichi gulped, it’s not like he believed in the supernatural, but the woman’s story had still managed to startle him. Looking over, he noticed that Kokichi’s usual behavior had shifted, and even he seemed to be nervous about going inside.

 _“Somehow that puts me a bit at ease…”_ Shuichi thought, when suddenly, he realized that they hadn’t been given any sort of means to enter this place. He was about to say something, but Kokichi had already taken action. He shuffled up to the front door and took two metal tools out of his pockets. Shuichi recognized them as lock picking gear, _“Why would he be carrying that kind of thing around? Just who the hell is this guy?”_

It didn’t take long for Kokichi to bust the door open, clearly this wasn’t the first time he’d done this kind of thing. Shuichi wanted to ask about it, but figured that this wasn’t the right time. He walked over and stood next to his partner, nodding at him. They both slowly stepped into the dimly lit diner. No one was inside, and the dining room didn’t seem to have anything out of place. Everything looked clean enough, and there wasn’t anything that he’d consider to be creepy.

“Alright, everything’s good! Let’s go get that cash!” Kokichi beamed, but it wasn’t hard to tell that he was trying to rush through this out of fear.

“No, we should at least check things in the kitchen.” Shuichi replied, “That’s where the woman said all these things are happening, right?”

“Man Shumai, you sure are an overachiever!” Kokichi snickered, “But if that’s what you want!” He practically skipped towards the back of the building, managing to effortlessly fling himself over the counter. This was the first time that Shuichi really took notice of his figure. He was extremely short, and though his clothes were baggy, it wasn’t hard to tell that Kokichi was thin, almost too thin. “Come on!”

Shuichi’s hands began to tremble, _“I’m the one that said we needed to check it out. I can’t back down now!”_ He clutched his fingers into a fist, taking heavy steps towards the kitchen’s entrance. The door opened up with ease, revealing a somewhat grimy kitchen. Shuichi and Kokichi released a deep breath that they’d both been holding, and closed the door behind them. Shuichi reached towards the wall and flicked the lightswitch, immediately earning a gasp from Kokichi in response. Confused, he whipped his head around to see what was wrong. It took no time at all to notice what had startled his partner. The vents towards the top of the wall had disgusting, crusty bronze stains underneath them, almost as if pure rust was leaking out of them. He’d never seen anything like it, at least, not coming from vents of all things.

“What the hell?” Kokichi gasped out, “That’s pretty nasty!”

 _“Thanks for the insightful wisdom…”_ Shuichi thought, but kept to himself. The two headed towards the stained vents for a closer inspection. Once they got closer, the stain was becoming more identifiable, specifically because of the scent it came with. It wafted the sharp scent of metal, rotten metal, if that was even possible. Kokichi placed his hands on the kitchen counter, heaving himself onto it. He stood at eye level with the vent now, and leaned in to see what had caused the drippings. But before he could get any sort of information, it was revealed all on its own. The vent leaked out a bright red substance, along with small chunks squeezing through the grate. He backed up in alarm as some of them fell onto his shirt, leaving a sizable stain on the white fabric.

Neither of them had any difficulty telling what it was. The color and scent could only identify the substance as blood. The shock of what had begun happening didn’t have any time to set in as things progressed within the room. Every sink had started to shoot out the same blood from their faucets, way too fast and thick to be handled by the drains alone.

 _“This… Huh?”_ Shuichi couldn’t process what he was seeing, it was otherworldly to say the least. Kokichi wasn’t any better, he simply stared down at his shirt in awe, his mind almost turning off entirely. But both of them were snapped back to reality once the noise levels of the room drastically erupted. A high-pitched wailing began to blast out from the vents, speeding up the blood still oozing from it. Both boys pressed their hands to their ears.

“Fuck! What?! What fuck?!” Kokichi couldn’t seem to spit out anything coherent, although it was hard to blame him considering the situation, “Stop! Damnit, stop that noise! God, please!”

“Kokichi, the noise is the least of my concern!” Shuichi shouted, “We need to get out of here, the room is going to flood!” He wasted no more time, turning around quickly and sprinting back to the door they had come in through. His hands frantically turned the knob back and forth, but it wasn’t working, the door was locked, and clearly wasn’t opening any time soon. His chest seized up, as if his lungs were being squeezed inside of him. The gravity of the scenario began to hit like a ton of bricks.

Shuichi screamed in terror, violently shaking the doorknob. He shouted, “Kokichi! Help me! The… the door’s stuck! It won’t open!” The vents and faucet's contents were spilling onto the floor, and a thin layer of gunk and blood had begun to pool around Shuichi’s shoes, making eerie sloshing sounds every time he moved. The smell throughout the room was unbearable, almost enough to make him vomit all on its own.

He whipped his head around, growing fearful at the fact he wasn’t receiving an answer. Kokichi was crouched on the kitchen counter still, hands over his ears, and tears pouring out of his eyes. Shuichi shouted again, louder, “Kokichi! We have to get out of here!”

“Aaaahh, shut up!” He screamed back, “Shut up shut up! It hurts!” Shuichi desperately ignored the shortness of his breath, trudging through the blood over to his partner. “Make it stop! Shuichi, make it stop!” Kokichi’s head and hands were violently twitching, seeing him in such a state was almost as unsettling as the literal horror movie happening around them. Shuichi reached forward, grabbing onto his thin wrists. He knew better than to take this approach normally, but he was desperate. Kokichi screamed as Shuichi ripped his hands away from the side of his head. “Ngh… No!”

“Kokichi! You have to get us out of here! Pull yourself together!” He shouted, desperate not to be drowned out by the wailing, “You have to ignore the noise!” Shuichi’s chest was killing him, his palms that were still gripping onto Kokichi were becoming more and more damp with sweat. Not hyperventilating was taking all of his energy and will at this point.

Kokichi opened up his violet eyes in hysteria, staring back at Shuichi intensely. His mind was completely clouded, unable to come up with any words. “I know it hurts… But you need to focus!” The blood on the floor was up to Shuichi’s ankles now, staining his pants. And the scent of it all completely clouded his senses. If they didn’t get out soon, they would pass out from the stress of it all, and slowly drown.

Kokichi gasped out, “O...okay…” was all he managed to say. He leaped off of the counter and into the nightmare fueled pool below. Thankfully, he kept his balance despite the twitching that he was still experiencing. The two ran over to the door and Kokichi got out his lockpick from his pocket. Holding it still proved to be extremely difficult, the noise was doing intense damage to his focus and coordination. As for Shuichi, he couldn’t take the stress much longer, fully hyperventilating and sobbing now. He was muttering about how he couldn’t breathe, but Kokichi wasn’t listening, trying not to focus on the audio around him.

“Damnit!” He cried, “It’s not working! This isn’t the right type of lock! I just need a flat edge to turn it with!” He looked over his shoulder, noticing Shuichi as he clutched his chest in pain. “Shuichi! Get me a knife from that stand on the counter!”

Shuichi nodded, his movements frantic, yet weak. He threw his arm onto the counter and tightly gripped onto the handle of a steak knife. He could feel that his stomach was about to give in, “Ko… kichi!” he shouted, throwing the knife at the small boy before he heaved over and vomited onto the covered ground below.

Kokichi caught the knife by the handle and jammed it into the keyhole of the doorknob, turning it forcefully. Kneeling down, the blood now reached halfway up his thighs. He gasped as he heard the lock of the door click, and he slammed down the knob and pushed his entire weight onto the wood. The blood poured out from the opening, and Kokichi fell to the floor belonging to the dining room. His hair became coated with blood and chunks of unidentifiable meat.

Shuichi threw himself upwards, and followed Kokichi out of the kitchen that had almost killed them. The screaming of the vents was gone now, all that could be heard was the boy’s intense panting and sobbing. But then to their amazement, all of the blood beneath them had vanished, including the stains that were on their clothes. It was like the situation had never even occurred, or was an illusion the entire time. The work of a ghost.

Shuichi rubbed his eyes dry and stood up straight. Looking down at Kokichi, he’d gone silent. _“He passed out…”_ Shuichi thought, _“Good thing we got out of there before he did.”_ He took a second to straighten out his hat and clothes, _“It’s like it never happened… Even that disgusting smell is gone.”_ He stared down at Kokichi’s unconscious body, _“I… I guess I’ll just take him back to Hiro. There’s no way he’d be allowed at my place…”_

Shuichi reached down and slid his arms underneath Kokichi’s back, carefully lifting him off the ground. He was surprisingly easy to carry, barely weighing 100 pounds. Shuichi didn’t waste any time in leaving the diner, not wanting to spend any more time there. It wasn’t dark out yet thankfully, the time was around noon. Although, that meant everyone in their cars could see as Shuichi carried a passed out boy bridal style down the sidewalk. He tried his best not to think about that though, considering he already had a panic attack only five minutes ago.

Arriving at Hiro’s, the client that was previously there had vanished, and Shuichi watched as Hiro combed through a thick stack of cash. He looked up at Shuichi, and tilted his head in confusion seeing him carrying around his sidekick. They looked at each other in silence for a while, unsure of what to say.

Hiro finally spoke up, “So did you catch the ghost?” Shuichi glared at him, far too tired to be dealing with him right now. Not responding to Hiro’s question, he walked past him back into his makeshift office. He shut the door behind him and laid Kokichi down on the bean bag chair sitting in the corner of the room. In reality, Shuichi wanted nothing more than to go home, but part of him knew that he couldn’t just leave Kokichi alone after what had happened.

 _“I hope I won’t have to wait here too long…”_ Shuichi thought, _“But I need to make sure he’s going to be okay.”_ He took off his hat and set it down on the desk, took a seat at his chair, and laid down his head within his folded arms. Slowly, he managed to drift off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 done!!! Thank you all for reading! I hope my horror writing isn't too bad haha~


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